A Conversation Between Friends
by Joy3
Summary: Vaughn visits Weiss and talks to him about life and love. Takes place after Counteragent. No spoilers.


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Takes place after Counteragent. Vaughn visits Weiss and talks about life and love.

No spoilers. All characters belong to Alias (except the nurse Adina). This is my first story so I'd love to hear reviews. Thanks.

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A Conversation Between Friends

Vaughn was exhausted. He was driving around trying to clear his head and he didn't know where to go. It was 7 PM and he didn't feel like going home and being alone. He definitely didn't feel like seeing Alice even though she had left two messages for him to go home and get some rest, he needed his strength back and blah blah blah. He felt like calling Syd and finishing their conversation but she'd made it clear she had heard enough. 

Twenty minutes later he dragged his tired body up the last few steps to Weiss' apartment and rang the bell. Weiss opened the door and smiled at the sight of his best friend holding a pizza pie.

"Hey buddy, I should be visiting you! What are you doing out of bed? You almost died this week and you're visiting me?" Weiss asked.

"Well, I can't break our Monday night tradition just because of a little virus. Besides I really wanted some company."

"Come in, Mike. I'll take that," he said relieving Vaughn of the pizza. He set it down on the table and pointed to his friend. "You sit down and I'll get us a couple of brews. You look like you could use it."

Vaughn entered the apartment and removed his suit jacket. He tossed the jacket over the back of the couch and loosened his tie. "So how are you feeling Eric?" Vaughn asked as he lowered himself onto the cushions.

"I'm better everyday. I'm running out of excuses to stay on paid sick leave. I'll probably be back making trouble for you at work in a couple of weeks."

"Good because we need you back, Weiss. Things are insane."

Weiss was getting the drinks and plates from the kitchen. "Tell me what's going on. A couple of days ago you told me Derevko was back in CIA custody and the next thing I know Alice calls to tell me you're dying in the hospital." He set down the plates and handed Vaughn a beer.

"It was crazy. First the doctor tested us both and said Syd was fine but my tests were iffy. Then he told me I was fine too and let me go. Next morning I'm bleeding from my nails." Vaughn takes a sip and thinks about the moments he and Syd shared while they were waiting for their test results. 

Weiss shakes his head in disbelief and picks up a slice of pizza. "So you went straight to the hospital?" he said with a full mouth.

"No, actually I went to see Derevko first," Vaughn replied and picked up a slice, too.

Weiss almost choked on his mouthful. "What the hell is wrong with you man? Why did you see Derevko?"

"I needed to know if there was an antidote. I wanted to get her cooperation before I was incapacitated by the virus. But she knew I was sick and decided to take advantage of my desperation."

"How?"

"She asked me about my relationship with Sydney."

"No way! What does she care anyway?"

"She said she was 'curious'," Vaughn spat out bitterly.

"SO WHAT DID YOU SAY?" Weiss said bug eyed.

"I told her I'd tell her what she wanted to know if she helped me."

"Did she help? I mean - you're here so I guess she was true to her word for once."

"Yeah, she told Syd where the antidote was and how to get it."

"Mike, I'm glad she helped you but that woman is evil as far as I'm concerned. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have been shot and you wouldn't have had that virus in the first place. She's the devil."

Vaughn nodded and took a swig of beer.

Weiss continued, "I don't know how she got a kid as good and decent as Sydney."

"I know, " Vaughn replied sadly.

"Did I tell you Sydney visited me in the hospital last week before they discharged me?"

Vaughn looked up. "No, tell me."

"Well, I guess she felt guilty about me getting shot since it was her mother's fault. So she came by and brought me some arroz con pollo from her friend's restaurant to make up for the meal we could've all had together in Barcelona if I hadn't been hurt."

"That was really sweet," Vaughn said with a smile.

"She only stayed for a few minutes but I really appreciated the thought and I know it was risky for her to come see me. I bet she visited you too, huh?"

"I was so out of it when she came but I really wanted to talk to her before she left to get the antidote." Vaughn took another sip of his drink to fortify himself. "She was crying, Eric. She was trying not to worry me, trying to be positive. Next thing I knew, Jack was sitting in my room telling me Sydney killed Sloane to get the serum."

"SLOANE'S DEAD??" Weiss jumped up.

"No, he's actually alive and well unfortunately. And best friends with Sark if you can believe it."

"I can't. What the hell is going on at SD-6??"

"I know it's crazy. Syd says his standing in the Alliance has never been higher."

Weiss looked at his friend. "Wait, you saw Sydney after you got better?"

Vaughn nodded.

"What happened?" Weiss asked.

"While Syd was in the hospital visiting she met Alice---"

Weiss handed him a can. "Here, you need another beer."

"I asked Syd about it, about Alice. I just wanted to get it out there. It was awful. I felt sick when I heard they met and I felt sick talking to Syd about it. I told her we broke up and got together again a few months later. I mean, I was lonely. Alice was there and available...But Syd didn't want to hear any of it. She just cut me off."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I thought maybe---" Vaughn was interrupted by the phone ringing in the apartment. Weiss gestured 'one sec' and grabbed the phone.

"Hello?...Hey Adina! It's great to hear from you!...Yeah? You liked them? Well you deserve it and more. You were great to me. I mean the whole staff was- but you especially...Yeah, stronger everyday...Thanks...Wait, let me grab a pen...Okay, go," Weiss scribbled some numbers on a scrap of paper. "Okay, got it. Well, great talking to you. Thanks for calling. I'll speak to you soon. Good night Adina...Bye." Weiss hung up the phone with a satisfied smile on his face.

Vaughn raised his eyebrow at Weiss and asked, "Adina?"

Weiss blushed. "Yeah, you remember the cute nurse with the short black hair and green eyes and gorgeous smile? I sent some flowers to the nursing staff to thank them and she called to say she got them. She gave me her phone number, man. It's the one good thing to come out of all this," he said as he pointed to his bandaged neck.

"That's great Eric. I'm really happy for you. Are you going to ask her out?"

"Yeah, when I get up the nerve!" Weiss laughed. "Seriously, sitting in that hospital bed made me think about a lot of things and one thing I realized is that you've got to find your happiness. Life's too short." Weiss paused and looked at his friend. "And I think I owe you an apology." 

"For what?"

"Last year I told you to cool it with your feelings for Sydney and just be professional. But I think I was wrong. You deserve to be happy."

Vaughn looked down. "I don't know. You may have been right. I mean - you could date this nurse and live happily ever after. But even if I wanted something more with Syd, I don't know if she ever would. And even if we both did - and that's a very big if - we'd be risking our lives."

"Do you honestly think you could be happy with Alice?"

Vaughn bit his lip and frowned. "No. No, definitely not. I know that it's not right with her. I knew it in the hospital. Every time I opened my eyes I hoped to see Syd there. I knew it even before - when I started seeing Alice again. I thought if I tried hard enough to have a normal life and a normal relationship with a normal girl that I could force myself to be happy. But I was just fooling myself." Vaughn looked down and felt a wave of sadness wash over him. "It's torture seeing her everyday. We're so honest with each other about everything, we have such trust. But I can't talk to her about our friendship. Our relationship."

Weiss felt sad for his friend who was obviously hurting. "Well how did you leave it with her?"

"She said 'I'll see you tomorrow' and walked away. I started to go after her but Kendall stopped me and I couldn't catch up to her."

"What were you going to say?"

Vaughn looked at his friend and sighed. "I don't know. But next time I have the chance to tell her, I'm taking it."

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A/N This is my first story so I would very much appreciate any feedback. Thanks for reading!


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